Primary election 2025: 2 candidates seek Tilden Township seat
Two candidates are seeking the Republican nomination to represent Tilden Township.
Incumbent Fred Herman is facing challenger Eron Stufflet in the May 20 primary contest.
Supervisors serve six-year terms.
We asked the candidates to respond to a question.
Question: Name a single problem facing the municipality you are running to represent and how you would address that issue if elected.
Fred Herman
Fred Herman
Occupation: Herman retired as a facility director of staff development and training for the state.
Age: 74.
Response: A serious problem facing not only Tilden Township but Berks County as a whole is the developing crisis in delivery of emergency medical services. This has been studied and well documented.
EMS agencies are faced with serious challenges with funding and staffing. This results in deleterious effects on response times and level of service and even closures. Funding problems are a result of revenue received from government and insurance sources covering only a fraction of actual costs. Subscriptions are offered by most, but participation rates are low. There are also individuals who abuse the system and pay nothing. Staffing difficulties are primarily a result of the relatively low level of compensation provided given the training, knowledge and responsibility required. Around-the-clock scheduling demands and burnout are also factors.
Ultimately, our township is responsible legally as well as morally for providing effective EMS services here. I support the dialogue begun with Hamburg EMS to determine their needs and assistance we can provide. I voted for the significant increase in funding for them in our current budget and will continue to encourage giving adequate financial assistance. This could take the form of municipalwide subscriptions, which would provide a benefit for our residents.
Eron Stufflet
Eron Stufflet
Occupation: Stufflet has worked at East Penn Manufacturing for the past 20 years.
Age: 43.
Response: Tilden Township's current problem is whether to let a new warehouse be constructed up to 50 feet high. The current height limit is 35 feet. A lot of folks spoke their peace at the last meeting and were not happy. Now it all comes down to if we spend taxpayers money to fight this or let it happen.
The last fight the township had cost the taxpayer $75,000 and they still lost. So to answer this I would have sent a simple card explaining everything to all 967 addresses asking if they want to fight or save our tax dollars.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
41 minutes ago
Nevada GOP governor vetoes voter ID bill that he pushed for in a deal with Democrats
LAS VEGAS -- Nevada Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo unexpectedly vetoed a bill on Thursday that would have required voters in the swing state to show a photo ID at the polls — a conservative priority across the country and something that has long been on the governor's legislative wish list. The move brings a dramatic end to one of the legislative session's most surprising outcomes: A bipartisan deal that combined the requirement for voter identification with a Democratic-backed measure to add more drop boxes for mail ballots that Lombardo had initially vetoed. The bill came together in the final days of the session and passed mere minutes before the Democratic-controlled Legislature adjourned just after midnight on June 3. Lombardo had been expected to sign it. In his veto message, Lombardo said he 'wholeheartedly' supports voter ID laws but that he felt the bill fell short on addressing his concerns about ballots cast by mail, because such ballots could still be accepted 'solely on the basis of a signature match" under the bill. Because it 'would apply voter ID requirements unequally between in-person and mail ballot voters and fails to sufficiently guarantee ballot security, I cannot support it,' he said. The voter ID requirements in the bill mirrored a ballot initiative known as Question 7 that Nevada voters overwhelmingly approved last November. But voters would have to pass it again in 2026 to amend the state constitution. The requirement would then be in place by 2028. Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, the Democrat who brokered the deal with Lombardo, said when he introduced the legislation that voters seemed poised to give the final approval, and that enacting a voter ID law would have given the state a head start on ensuring a smooth rollout before the next presidential election. In a scathing statement, Yeager called the governor's decision a 'breach of trust," saying that he believes Lombardo gave in to pressure around him to veto the bill, designated Assembly Bill 499. 'Lombardo was for AB499 before he was against it, encouraging all legislative Republicans to support it, which they did,' Yeager said. Voting rights groups condemned the legislation, saying it would have made it harder for some people to vote, including low-income or unhoused voters, people with disabilities and older voters. Let Nevadans Vote, which describes itself as a nonpartisan coalition, said Thursday in a statement that the governor's veto only temporarily stops what it called 'the misguided and ill-conceived implementation of voter ID in Nevada.' 'Come 2026, Question 7 will still be on the ballot," the group said while describing voter ID requirements as 'strict regimes' that 'decide who gets to exercise their constitutional right to vote and who cannot.' Polls have shown that most Americans support voter ID laws, and that has been consistent over the years and across party lines. A 2024 Gallup poll found 84% of Americans were in favor of requirements for a photo ID at voting places, consistent with Gallup findings from 2022 and 2016. That includes about two-thirds of Democrats, according to the 2024 survey. Voters are either required or requested to show ID when voting in person in 36 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Not all states require photo ID, though. Some accept documents such as a bank statement, and some allow voters without ID to vote after signing an affidavit. A few states allow poll workers to vouch for voters without an ID. Lombardo on Thursday also vetoed a bill that would have allowed the swing state's nonpartisan voters to cast ballots in Republican or Democratic primary races. The bill sought to include the more than 855,000 voters registered as nonpartisans — the state's largest voting bloc — in the process of nominating major-party candidates for congressional races and statewide offices. A ballot initiative to open up primaries for all registered voters was rejected by voters last November. The sweeping measure, which also attempted to implement ranked choice voting, faced intense opposition from party leaders on both sides who said it was too broad and confusing.
an hour ago
Trump is finally getting his chance to try to top France with a grand military parade in DC
WASHINGTON -- Eight years after President Donald Trump was dazzled by a grand military parade down the Champs-Élysées in Paris, he is finally getting a chance to try to top the spectacle. His long-delayed dream is expected to be realized Saturday with an extravaganza of American military might featuring tanks and other armored vehicles rolling through the nation's capital, thousands of soldiers marching the streets and military aircraft flying overhead. In a final flourish, an elite parachute team is to jump from above the White House, land near Trump and hand him an American flag. 'I think it's going to be great,' Trump said this week. 'We're going to celebrate our country for a change.' For Trump, a media-attuned real estate developer who was a reality television star and beauty pageant owner, it's a chance to flex his skills as a showman. But the muscular display of military might also comes as Trump is increasingly flexing the powers of his office, including with the deployment of thousands of National Guard troops to respond to protests in Los Angeles over his immigration crackdown. The Republican president's desire for a grand military parade was scuttled in his first term over concerns about the high cost for the event. This time around, he is barreling past objections just like the tanks that will roll down Constitution Avenue. Trump has dismissed concerns about the cost, about what message the display of military power sends and about the fact that it will take place on his 79th birthday. One potential obstacle the president can't control is the weather. There's a chance the parade could be interrupted by thunderstorms. The White House has said it will go on rain or shine, but it could be delayed by lightning. Trump said Thursday night that he hopes the weather is OK but if it's not, 'That's OK too.' 'Doesn't matter,' he said at the White House. 'Doesn't affect the tanks at all. Doesn't affect the soldiers. They're used to it.' The parade was initially conceived as a July 4 event, but Trump found occasion this year to add it onto a long-planned celebration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army that coincides with Flag Day and Trump's birthday. 'This parade will honor all of the military men and women who have bravely served our country, including those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom,' White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. 'No event can fully capture our gratitude for those who have worn the uniform, but this grand parade will ensure our veterans and active-duty service members are recognized with the respect and magnificence they deserve.' The White House has not offered details about when and how the administration first began pushing this year to turn Trump's parade vision into reality, but the president has been briefed regularly on its progress and made suggestions about details of the plans, according to press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Private donations from companies like Lockheed Martin, Amazon and UFC are helping defray some of the costs, but the government still is expected to spend $25 million to $45 million. Some members of Congress have questioned the high cost at a time when the administration has been pushing for deep spending cuts throughout the government. Defense officials and the White House have justified the cost as a worthy expense to pay tribute to service members and inspire patriotism, and Trump has called it 'a great expenditure.' Outside of wartime, there isn't much of a tradition of military parades in the U.S., with some critics likening the planned pageantry to the jingoistic displays seen in North Korea. But Trump's inspiration was the 2017 Bastille Day procession he attended in France, which he declared at the time to be 'magnificent' and 'one of the greatest parades I have ever seen.' 'We're going to have to try and top it,' he said then. With the parade now set to occur on his 79th birthday, Trump said he is 'taking a little heat' over the overlapping occasions. But he said the festivities are meant to celebrate the Army and Flag Day, not his birthday. His imprint Saturday will be clear, though. Trump requested aircraft and military equipment that capture the might of the military, according to the White House. He is expected to view the synchronized flyovers, along with the processions of tanks, historical reenactments and marching soldiers, from a special reviewing stand. Toward the end of the day's events, he is set to deliver remarks during a nationally televised ceremony capped by fireworks. One of Trump's favorite musical acts, ' God Bless the USA' singer Lee Greenwood, is on tap to perform. Greenwood's song is one of the president's preferred walk-on tunes at events. The singer has performed in person at campaign rallies, and Trump even partnered with Greenwood on a business deal to sell 'God Bless the USA' Bibles for $59.99. Though the president has blown past the logistical and financial barriers that stopped his parade in the past, the pageantry still is expected to draw pushback. With predictions of as many as 200,000 attendees, the Secret Service is preparing for protests by erecting 18 miles of anti-scale fencing and deploying drones to the city's skies to keep watch. Multiple protests to counter the event were being planned, including a march to the White House. Immigration-related clashes between protesters and law enforcement in Los Angeles have spread to other cities this week and heightened the possibility of tensions in the Washington area. The president this week said that if protesters show up at the parade, 'they will be met with very big force.' It was not clear what he meant by that remark, but it added to the alarm of critics who claim the policies of Trump's administration and the planned lavish display of militarism smack of authoritarian politics. Organizers of 'No Kings' protests are planning demonstrations around the country Saturday to counter an event they contend is meant to feed Trump's ego. 'The flag doesn't belong to President Trump. It belongs to us,' the 'No Kings' website says. But they're not planning to hold an event in Washington. Instead, their flagship event will be in Philadelphia, and organizers said they hope to draw attention away from what they paint as a strongman spectacle designed for Trump's birthday, like a king. Trump laughed off the idea Thursday. 'I don't feel like a king,' he said. 'I have to go through hell to get stuff approved.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
With Baumgartner in audience, Trump signs bill blocking Washington's electric vehicle mandate; state sues in response
Jun. 12—WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed legislation into law that blocks Washington and other states from following California's lead in phasing out gas-powered vehicles. Rep. Michael Baumgartner of Spokane was among dozens of Republican lawmakers invited to the White House for the occasion, which the president used to riff on a variety of topics in addition to the bill. Between calling Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell "a numbskull" and highlighting his own popularity on TikTok, Trump celebrated the revocation of Biden-era waivers from the Environmental Protection Agency that let California impose stricter vehicle emissions standards than the federal government. After the Biden administration allowed California to ban the sale of gas-powered cars starting in 2035, Washington followed suit in 2022, requiring that all new cars sold in the state be either fully electric or plug-in hybrids. A total of 17 states has adopted similar rules that the newly signed law revokes. "The automakers didn't know what to do, because they're really building cars for two countries," Trump said. "When you have 17 states, you're building cars for two countries." In an interview before the bill-signing ceremony, Baumgartner said the California regulation and its progeny would have been devastating to the U.S. economy. "There does not exist the ability to magically create electric semi-trucks that move nearly 70% of the goods that Americans consume, so it would have been crippling to our economy if this rule was left in place," he said. "You can't run semi-trucks across America on unicorn laughter and aspirational dreams of environmental extremists." To revoke the waivers, the EPA issued under a previous administration, lawmakers invoked the Congressional Review Act, which allowed them to skirt the 60-vote supermajority required to pass most bills in the Senate. They did so despite the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office and the Senate parliamentarian, the chamber's neutral adviser on rules, both informing senators that the EPA waivers didn't count as the executive-branch rules for which the act applies. Despite near-unanimous opposition from Democratic senators, the bill revoking California's waivers received significant bipartisan support in the House, plus a single Democratic senator, Michigan's Elissa Slotkin. Trump was surprised on Thursday when a GOP lawmaker in the room told him 35 House Democrats had voted in favor. One of them was Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of southwest Washington, who runs an auto repair shop with her husband and has been a frequent critic of her party's push to speed a transition to electric vehicles. Shortly after Thursday's ceremony concluded, Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown and California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a joint lawsuit with nine other states challenging the elimination of California's waiver. The suit alleges that the resolution violates the separation of powers, the Take Care Clause and multiple federal statutes, including the Congressional Review Act and Administrative Procedure Act. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff states allege that the Congressional Review Act has "never before been used in any context that resembles this one. It has certainly never been used, as it was here, to negate particular state laws." The lawsuit seeks to have the resolution declared unlawful and to require the federal government to implement the Clean Air Act consistent with the granted waivers. "Transportation is the single greatest contributor to greenhouse gas pollution in Washington, and our residents understand the transition to zero-emission vehicles is critical in the fight against climate change," Brown said in a statement Thursday. "This is the Trump administration's latest unlawful attempt to derail Washington's and the nation's transition to a clean future." At the White House, Trump railed against Democrats' efforts to use state and federal laws to phase out gas-powered vehicles — the country's biggest single source of greenhouse gas emissions — and speed the adoption of wind, solar and other low-carbon energy sources. "They're making you buy stuff that doesn't work," the president said. "You should be given the option to buy the electric car, by a gasoline-powered car, buy a hybrid. Probably not hydrogen, because hydrogen has the tendency that when it blows up, you're gonzo. It's over." After the room broke out in laughter at that line, Trump turned to Rep. Steve Scalise and said, "It'll make your accident look like peanuts," apparently referring to the 2017 shooting that left the Louisiana Republican in critical condition. Washington state officials have taken steps in recent days to prepare for the new federal law. In a June 6 memo, the Washington State Department of Ecology notified vehicle manufacturers that it would temporarily pause compliance requirements for some vehicle categories. "This recent federal action introduces new uncertainty for states, manufacturers, and consumers at a time when both businesses and consumers are making real progress in reducing the transportation sector's greenhouse gas emissions," Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller said in a statement June 6. "It undermines states' rights, negatively impacts public health, and puts U.S. automakers at a competitive disadvantage in a global market that is rapidly transitioning to zero-emission vehicle technology." Sixkiller added that the agency would work with legislators, industry partners, local governments and other states to "stay on track and ensure continued progress toward our climate and public health goals." After the federal bill cleared the Senate in late May, Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a statement that the action was "brazenly out of step with the law, science, and public will." "For more than 50 years, states have possessed the ability to adopt stronger vehicle emissions standards to protect public health. Washington has exercised that right, along with 17 other states, resulting in cleaner air and healthier communities," Ferguson said. "Despite this retreat from public health by the federal government, I'm committed to ensuring Washington moves forward on building a healthier, cleaner future." Thursday's bill signing drew praise of the Washington Trucking Association, which said it remains committed to working with Washington lawmakers and the Department of Ecology on a "workable path to electrification." "California's EV trucking mandates have been a disaster for states like Washington, and have caused real harm to the trucking industry, a key link in our trade-dependent state's supply chain network," the association's president and CEO, Sheri Call, said in a statement. "Washington state does not have the infrastructure in place to properly institute such a sweeping mandate like this, and the technology has not advanced enough yet to support the trucking industry's rapid transition to clean energy. Our neighbors in Oregon recently opted out of these mandates for these same reasons." Vicki Giles Fabré, vice president of the Washington State Auto Dealers Association, said that Washington's franchised new car and truck dealers have "made substantial investments in electrification and remain committed to selling electric and hybrid vehicles." "The Washington State Auto Dealers Association intends to work with state policymakers to find solutions that incentivize increased adoption of these vehicles, while also supporting the needs of franchised dealers, their employees, and the customers they serve," Fabré said in a statement Wednesday. According to Sixkiller, one in five new vehicles sold today runs on zero-emission technology. "We're not going to slow down that progress. Washingtonians already experience the impacts of climate change every year, from drought and wildfire to flooding and sea-level rise," Sixkiller said in a statement following the Attorney General's lawsuit. "As our Attorney General's Office fights to protect our state's rights, we'll continue working with the Legislature, industry partners, local governments, and other states to continue our progress on clean transportation. At a time of great uncertainty, that's a promise we can keep." Orion Donovan Smith's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.
